Sisi reasserts Egypt’s rejection of targeting civilians, collective punishment policies, forced displacement of Palestinians

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has reasserted Egypt’s firm position of rejecting the targeting of all peaceful civilians, as well as rejecting policies of collective punishment and forcible displacement of Palestinians from their lands.

The president’s remarks came while conferring on Monday with a delegation from the Democratic and Republican parties in the US Senate, led by Senator Lindsey Graham, Presidency Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri and General Abbas Kamel, head of the General Intelligence Service, attended the meeting.

During the meeting, President Sisi stressed the necessity of serious action to stop the current escalation and to intensify coordination between all relevant parties to push for a settlement of the Palestinian cause through a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of their independent state in accordance with the relevant international legitimacy references, Spokesman Fahmy said.

The two sides agreed on the seriousness of the current situation, the need to work to prevent the conflict from escalating, the need to protect civilians and prevent their targeting and the need to provide humanitarian and relief assistance to the Gaza Strip, in addition to the imperative of reviving the peace process in the region.

In this regard, the US delegation valued Egypt’s role in maintaining peace, its hosting of the Cairo Summit for Peace on October 21, and its leading role in ensuring the delivery of essential services and humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, Spokesman Fahmy said.

President Sisi stressed the importance that Egypt attaches to maintaining constant contact with the leaders of the US Congress within the framework of coordination and consultation between the two friendly countries on various issues, emanating from the solid strategic partnership that has existed between Egypt and the United States for decades.

For their part, the US delegation emphasised the great priority that the United States attaches to its strategic relations with Egypt, Spokesman Fahmy said, adding that the delegation also valued the distinguished level of co-operation between the two countries, noting in this regard that Egypt is the essential pillar of security and stability in the Middle East and the Arab world.